Denmark, Greenland leaders stand united against Trump
Nuuk (Greenland) (AP): The leaders of Denmark and the country's territory of Greenland have offered a united front against President Donald Trump's calls for the United States to take over the strategic Arctic island on the eve of critical meetings in Washington on the matter.
In perhaps their sharpest pushback to date, Denmark and Greenland's prime ministers on Tuesday underscored that the territory is part of Denmark, and thus covered by the umbrella of the NATO military alliance.
A US attempt to take over or force the secession of the massive island would tear apart the transatlantic alliance, which has been a linchpin of post-World War II security.
The leaders, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen, sought to underscore their solidarity as their foreign ministers, Denmark's Lars Løkke Rasmussen and Greenland's Vivian Motzfeldt, prepared for talks at the White House on Wednesday with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
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“Dear Greenlanders, you should know that we stand together today, we will do so tomorrow, and we will continue to do so," Frederiksen said during a joint press conference in Copenhagen.
“If we have to choose between the United States and Denmark here and now, we choose Denmark. We choose NATO. We choose the Kingdom of Denmark. We choose the EU," Nielsen added.
Tensions have grown this month as Trump has ramped up calls for a U.S. takeover of the island. He has repeatedly said he's considering a range of options, including military force, to acquire Greenland.
Trump earlier this week reiterated his argument that the U.S. needs to “take Greenland,” otherwise Russia or China would. He also says he'd rather “make a deal” for the territory, “but one way or the other, we're going to have Greenland.”
Danish officials have made clear they are open to expanding cooperation with the US military in Greenland, but have repeatedly stated the territory is not for sale.
Since 1945, the American military presence in Greenland has decreased from thousands of soldiers over 17 bases and installations on the island to just the remote Pituffik Space Base in the northwest with roughly 200 soldiers today.
The base supports missile warning, missile defence and space surveillance operations for the US and NATO.
Denmark's parliament approved a bill last June to allow US military bases on Danish soil. It widened a previous military agreement, made in 2023 with the Biden administration, where US troops had broad access to Danish air bases in the Scandinavian country.
Naaja Nathanielsen, Greenland's minister for business and mineral resources, said it's “unfathomable” that the United States is discussing taking over a NATO ally and urged the Trump administration to listen to voices from the Arctic island's people.
Nathanielsen added that people in Greenland are “very, very worried” over the US administration's desire for control of Greenland.
“People are not sleeping, children are afraid, and it just fills everything these days. And we can't really understand it,” Nathanielsen said at a meeting with lawmakers in Britain's Parliament.
Meanwhile, Danish officials have also sought to underscore that Denmark has remained a faithful ally of the United States.
A Danish government official confirmed on Tuesday that Denmark provided US forces in the east Atlantic with support last week as they intercepted an oil tanker for alleged violations of US sanctions.
The official, who was not authorised to comment publicly on the sensitive matter and spoke on the condition of anonymity, declined to provide details about what the support entailed.
The US interception in the Atlantic capped a weeks-long pursuit of the tanker that began in the Caribbean Sea as the US imposed a blockade in the waters of Venezuela aimed at capturing sanctioned vessels coming in and out of the South American country.
The White House and Pentagon did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Danish support for the US operation was first reported by Newsmax.
Separately, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte refused to be drawn into the dispute, insisting that it was not his role to get involved.
“I never, ever comment when there are discussions within the alliance,” Rutte said, at the European Parliament in Brussels. “My role has to be to make sure we solve issues.”
He said that the 32-nation military alliance must focus on providing security in the Arctic region, which includes Greenland. “When it comes to the protection of the High North, that is my role.”
Nathanielsen said Greenlanders understand the need for increased monitoring in the Arctic amid growing geopolitical insecurity. But she said “it is just unfathomable to understand” that Greenland could be facing the prospect of being sold or annexed.
A bipartisan US congressional delegation is headed to Copenhagen for meetings on Friday and Saturday in an attempt to show unity between the United States and Denmark.
Nathanielsen said she thinks the people of Greenland should have a say in their own future.
“My deepest dream or hope is that the people of Greenland will get a say no matter what," she said. "For others this might be a piece of land, but for us it's home.”
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Bengal: Over 55 pc turnout till 1 pm in repoll in 15 booths of 2 assembly seats
Kolkata (PTI): Over 55 per cent turnout was recorded till 1 pm in repoll in 15 booths of two assembly constituencies in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district on Saturday, an official said.
Voting was underway more or less peacefully at 11 polling stations of Magrahat Paschim assembly constituency and four in Diamond Harbour, where the EC ordered repoll a day ago, following reports of electoral malpractices.
However, at booth number 179 at Chanda Primary School of Diamond Harbour seat, the Trinamool Congress alleged that a specially abled voter and his mother were harassed by central forces. The alleged incident sparked protests by party workers and locals.
The TMC claimed that the voter's mother, who had entered the booth to assist him, and her son were detained for a considerable time by central forces over alleged rule violations.
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"TMC leaders Manmohini Biswas and Pratik Ur Rahman reached the spot and led the protests, with residents terming the action unwarranted harassment. The matter has been taken care of by our officials there," an official of the poll body said.
Polling was otherwise peaceful across 15 booths in the area, he added.
Voting began at 7 am and will continue till 6 pm, the official said, adding that till 1 pm, the turnout was 55.57 per cent.
Magrahat Paschim registered 56.33 per cent voter turnout, while in Diamond Harbour, it was 54.9 per cent, a poll official stated.
Voting in these two assembly constituencies was held in the second phase of the state elections on April 29.
The repoll order was based on reports received from returning officers and observers of the two constituencies and "material circumstances", the Election Commission official said.
In Magrahat Paschim, TMC's Md Samim Ahamed Molla is pitted against BJP nominee Goursundar Ghosh, while Abdul Majid Halder of the Congress and ISF candidate Abdul Aziz Al Hassan are also in the fray.
TMC candidate Panna Lal Halder is contesting against Dipak Kumar Halder of the BJP in the Diamond Harbour seat. Goutam Bhattacharya of the Congress and CPI(M)'s Samar Naiya are among other candidates.
The BJP had alleged rampant electoral malpractices in certain polling stations of both the assembly seats under the Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha constituency, which is represented by TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee.
The EC had deputed its special observer, Subrata Gupta, to fact-check the allegations from the ground.
The poll panel will decide on repolling in the Falta assembly constituency on Saturday.
The West Bengal assembly elections were held in two phases -- April 23 and April 29 -- amid unprecedented security arrangements.
Counting of votes will take place on May 4.
